Living in London; Traveling and Eating Everywhere

Le Relais de Venise, Marylebone

I’d heard from two different steak-loving friends that Le Relais de Venise was worth a visit, but with so many places to eat in London, and the fact that Le Relais is a bit of a chain (starting in Paris, it now has two locations in London and one in New York), I never got around to eating there. Last Saturday, though, I was meeting a friend who craved steak, and as Hawksmoor was closed for refurbishment and Goodman was disappointing when I ate there, I figured it was time to try out Le Relais. The New York Times‘s Sam Sifton, after all, had taken the time to give the New York location a full review, so the place had to be more than an imported tourist trap.

steak frites, the star attraction at Relais de Venise

Having not read up on Le Relais’s Marylebone location before getting there, I failed to realize that (1) the queues are enormous (thanks to the restaurant’s no-booking policy); and (2) the place operates much like a fast-food joint. Don’t be fooled by the vaguely-Gallic interior and think you’re there to linger over your meal. So we queued outside in the cold for about an hour, and once inside, the only choice we made was from the eight-bottle wine list.

The minute we sat down, salads arrived which were tangy and spicy from a classic mustard-and-lemon-juice vinaigrette. Pretty good but would’ve been better if a few walnuts hadn’t tasted stale.

Then the raison d’etre arrived: steaks served ultra-thin and served French style (i.e., table side). The meat wasn’t bad, but honestly, it was hard to tell because of “the sauce.” Apparently much has been written about this sauce, which is unbelievably rich and as meaty as the steak itself. The sauce’s green-going-on-gray colour is entirely unappetizing, and it’s clearly comprised of at least 50% butter (the other half is probably offal of some sort), so your doctor’s not going to be pleased. But it’s pretty delish.

You get two servings of steak and as many servings of frites as you like. The portions of steak are rather paltry, but I suppose I’m a big eater. If you’re a frites lover, this is the place for you. Le Relais should re-market itself as a frites-and-super-sauce restaurant.

profiteroles that looked better than they tasted

£19 included the salad and steak frites. For a little extra, you could order desserts and cheese. The cheeses were pretty wimpy, which was disappointing for a French resto. And the profiteroles looked a lot better than they tasted. The pastry was flavorless and stale, but luckily chocolate sauce and ice cream saved the day (as ever).

With two bottles of wine, a cheese course and dessert, our tab came to £41 a person. We were in and out in under an hour, and as we left at around 9:30, we saw that the queue outside was as long as ever.

Overall, the steak frites are pretty good, but don’t go to Le Relais if you’re looking for a giant slab of meat or if you want to linger at a table. In fact, the place seemed perfectly designed for families.

GC – There are definitely nicer and just-as-reasonably-priced places to eat steak frites in Paris.

Su-Lin – I think if you go with the right expectations (i.e., you’ll queue for a while and then you’ll be served a lightning-fast meal), Le Relais is worth a visit. The frites and sauce were very good. But definitely don’t go if you were planning to catch up with friends over a leisurely meal.

I too skipped it in Paris but have been to the Marylebone branch and I liked it very much, I didn’t have to queue though. I think the sauce is quite brilliant, but agree the steak serving is on the stingy side. Shame you don’t rate Goodman, I think they’re hard to beat for steak in London.

Boo – I think Goodman would have been lovely if the prices had been lower by half, but at the prices they’re charging, the steaks should be perfect every time. Which they weren’t. Still, the atmosphere was fun, and the sides were generally tasty.

Wild Boar – “I’m not very keeno n queuing” — now I know you’re not English. : ) When I was waiting on the queue, I remember wondering if Americans in the U.S. would ever queue for an hour to eat a rushed steak frites meal. Which led me to think “only in England . . . .” From what I’ve read about the New York location, there are no queues (yet).

They have got their business model working brilliantly haven’t they?! I’ve been a few times and always spend as long as possible investigating the sauce. I reckon it’s more like 80% butter to be honest!

I like the fact that after the first innings you get a second go which is a great surprise the first time you go.

Interesting to hear other peoples’ views on La Relais de Venise. Each time I have been there (4 now) I have thoroughly enjoyed it, but I knew what I was in for ahead of time – the set menu, that it is entrecote and not ‘steak’ as some know it, the sauce is rich and decadent, the wine is limited and desserts look better than they taste (although they used to have a pecan pie which was to die for! but disappeared after my first visit). I have been to one of the spin-offs in Paris (La Relais de l’Entrecote) near St Germain which was almost identical, though the London one is slightly better in my book. I did queue at the original near Port Maillot but my companions (Americans! hehe) didn’t care for waiting.

The sauce has been a ‘secret’ for over a hundred years apparently. It is meant to include all sorts of ‘interesting’ things, and I think we are better off not knowing what is in it!

I think the sauce and frites are well worth going back for, and I really like the entrecote (served nicely rare of course). Each time I think there isn’t enough meat, but the sauce and frites both fill me up….and I’m not usually shy of eating a fair amount!

For a quick tasty meal, I find it a good recommendation and pretty good value. I agree though, not one for a leisurely meal.

We went to eat at this restaurant last night and would definitely go back. I agree, the key is knowing what to expect. You are not going to get a massive slab of steak (and where would you get one for £20 in London?) The entrecôte was lovely and tender, the frites crispy and tasty and the sauce complemented it all. The service is a little slap dash but it was quick and efficient. The restaurant itself has a very lively vibe and adds to the atmosphere. A thoroughly enjoyable meal, I would recommend the restaurant to others and well worth the queue.

I suspect whether the restaurant is worth the queue depends on how long the queue is. Standing outside for an hour in the dreary weather of February was a pretty awful experience. The food would have to have been downright amazing in that case.